AFL made wrong decision by already committing to holding 2020 draft, Gary Buckenara writes

The coronavirus pandemic has basically ruined what should be an exciting year for many young footballers. Expert recruiter Gary Buckenara on why the AFL should cancel the national draft and lift the draft age.

If little of no under-18 championships football and/or NAB League is played this year, the draft should be cancelled, Gary Buckenara writes. Picture: Michael Klein

The AFL has made the wrong decision to declare the 2020 national draft will go ahead this year despite lingering uncertainty around football during the coronavirus pandemic.

We still don’t know when the AFL season will restart, let alone the NAB League and various state leagues such as the SANFL and WAFL, and the under-18 championships where the best youngsters from around the country play against each other.

The importance of the under-18 carnival and the NAB League can’t be underestimated. It’s crucial for talent identification and AFL recruiters gathering more information on the players who have already impressed.

The AFL has gone too early to declare this year’s draft will go ahead. I can’t see how, if there’s limited or no NAB League football and/or under-18 championships matches this year, the league can expect clubs to select players with any great certainty.

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If little of no under-18 championships football and/or NAB League is played this year, the draft should be cancelled, Gary Buckenara writes. Picture: Michael Klein

A call on the draft should have been delayed and, if little under-18 football is played this year, it should be cancelled.

While most clubs will already have a list of players they’ve identified as the top 20 prospects in the country based on their under-16 and 17 footy, having these players and the rest of the under-18s play no football this year would be doing a severe disservice to the late developers – the guys who put together outstanding seasons at under-18 level and elevate themselves from potential draftee to definite draftee or from a late/rookie pick to top 20.

It would also be dangerous for clubs to draft players based on form and talent identification from a year ago. Clubs invest approximately $250,000 per player drafted, so there’s a lot at stake. Recruiters must get it right.

Alex Rance went from a rookie-type to a top-20 pick courtesy of the form he showed in his draft year. Picture: Michael Klein

I think of players like Clayton Oliver who was a speculative draft pick at best in 2015 before putting together a standout season for Murray Bushrangers after getting himself fitter. He ended up going to Melbourne at pick No.4 because of his form that year.

Alex Rance was another who played really good WAFL football after the championships and went from a very raw and underdeveloped young man being touted as a rookie, to a top-20 pick. Richmond drafted him at No.18.

I’m going back a few years now but during my time at Hawthorn, Max Bailey stands out as a player who really rocketed up the rankings in his draft year in 2005 after an impressive back half of the season. We ended up taking him at pick No.18 and despite being very unlucky with injuries, he was a key player for us both on and off the field and was an integral part of our 2014 premiership side.

Clayton Oliver rocketed up the draft rankings in his draft year after getting himself fitter. Picture: Michael Klein

Delaying a decision on the draft, or cancelling it if needed, and then lifting the draft age to 19 in 2021 would have been the fairest way to navigate through a tough situation with a lot at stake for many, including the clubs.

Holding an under-18 carnival later in the year would be unfair on the players who aren’t picked to play. Common sense should have prevailed.

For a number of years there have been calls for the AFL to lift the draft age to 19 and the league should have used this as the catalyst to make the change permanently.

It should be 19 for a few of reasons:

— It will allow potential draftee the time to focus on and complete their final year of school without the pressure of trying to combine that with the demands of footy and all the commitments that come with aspiring to be drafted – the combine, draft interviews etc.

— Playing another season at under-19 level or even playing senior state league footy won’t hurt them, either. In fact, it will help the players who are later developers.

No.1 pick Matt Rowell in action during the NAB League last year. Picture: Getty

The other issue is clubs are currently operating on skeleton staff, with most stood down from their roles until the season restarts, and that includes the recruiting and list management teams – two of the most important areas at a football club.

While clubs need to find ways to cut costs given the financial state this crisis has put the game in, clubs need to be very careful of not cutting too deep in the recruiting space.

One of the first areas that will likely be cut, however, is the money clubs spend on recruiting international players as category B rookies. The cost of doing this properly is high, so I expect this budget will be cut from most, if not all clubs.

I understand the AFL wanted to give the young men eligible to be drafted this year some certainty amid all the doubt but it has made the wrong decision by committing to holding the draft so early.

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Originally published as AFL made wrong decision by already committing to holding 2020 draft, Gary Buckenara writes